(Vatican Radio) “You are the rod of God today!” A rod that is “bent down by ferocious winds, but does not break”. These were the words of Pope Francis today, in a video message sent to Christians in the Middle East. The Holy Father sent the message through Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon [France], who is in Erbil, Iraq for a two-day visit.The delegation, which was welcomed by Chaldean Patriarch, Louis Raphaël I Sako, included more than 100 volunteers. The purpose of the visit is twofold: to convey the Church’s closeness to Christians in Iraq and to ensure the organization of humanitarian aid to the region.

In his message, Pope Francis said that Cardinal Barbarin brings “the concern and love of the whole Church”. “I also would like to be there,” he said, “but since I cannot travel, I do so like this…I am very close to you all in these moments of trial. (Ed. RadioVaticana)

News.Va - The full text of the Pope's message is published below:

“I would like to greet each and every one of you, along with Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who once again brings you the concern and the love of the entire Church. I too would like to be there with you, but since I am unable to travel, I will do this instead … but I am very close to you in these difficult moments. I said, during my return journey from Turkey: Christians are being driven out of the Middle East, with suffering. I thank you for the witness you give; and there is a great deal of suffering in your witness. Thank you! Many thanks.

“It would seem that there they do not want there to be any Christians, but you bear witness to Christ. I think of the wounds, of the pain of women with their children, the elderly and the displaced, the wounds of those who are victims of every type of violence.

“As I mentioned in Ankara, particular concern is caused by the fact that above all, due to an extremist and fundamentalist group, entire communities, especially, – but not only – Christians and Yazidi, have suffered and continue to suffer inhuman violence because of their religious and ethnic identity. Christians and Yazidis have been forced out of their homes, they have had to abandon everything to save their lives, but they have not denied their faith. Even holy buildings, monuments, religious symbols and cultural heritage have been affected by the violence, almost as if to cancel every trace, every memory of the other.

“As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations of the dignity and rights of humanity.

“Today I wish to draw closer those of you who tolerate this suffering, and to be close to you … And I think of St. Therese of the Baby Jesus, who said that she and the Church were like a rod: when the wind rises and the storm comes, the rod bends but it does not break. At the moment, you are like this rod: you bend painfully, but you have the strength to carry forth your faith, which is a testimony to us. You are God's rod today! The rods that bend under this ferocious wind, but then rise up again.

“I wish to thank you again. I pray that the Spirit, Who makes all things new, will give each of you strength and resistance. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. And I strongly urge, as I did in Turkey, greater international collaboration to resolve the conflicts that cause blood to be shed in your lands of origin, to combat the other causes that lead people to leave their homelands and to promote suitable conditions for them to remain or return. I hope that you will return, that you will be able to return.

“Dear brothers and sisters, you are in my heart and my prayers, and in the hearts and prayers of all Christian communities, whom I will ask to pray in a special way for you on 8 December, to pray to Our Lady to protect you: she is our mother and will protect you.

“Brothers and sisters, your resistance is martyrdom, it is dew that brings fruitfulness. Please, I ask you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and Our Lady protect you.

May God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless you”.

Saturday of the First Week of AdventLectionary: 180

Reading 1IS 30:19-21, 23-26

Thus says the Lord GOD,the Holy One of Israel:O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,no more will you weep;He will be gracious to you when you cry out,as soon as he hears he will answer you.The Lord will give you the bread you needand the water for which you thirst.No longer will your Teacher hide himself,but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:“This is the way; walk in it,”when you would turn to the right or to the left.

He will give rain for the seedthat you sow in the ground,And the wheat that the soil produceswill be rich and abundant.On that day your flock will be given pastureand the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;The oxen and the asses that till the groundwill eat silage tossed to themwith shovel and pitchfork.Upon every high mountain and lofty hillthere will be streams of running water.On the day of the great slaughter,when the towers fall,The light of the moon will be like that of the sunand the light of the sun will be seven times greaterlike the light of seven days.On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,he will heal the bruises left by his blows.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.Praise the LORD, for he is good;sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;it is fitting to praise him.The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;the dispersed of Israel he gathers.R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.He heals the brokenheartedand binds up their wounds.He tells the number of the stars;he calls each by name.R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.Great is our LORD and mighty in power:to his wisdom there is no limit.The LORD sustains the lowly;the wicked he casts to the ground.R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Alleluia IS 33:22

Gospel MT 9:35-10:1, 5A, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,teaching in their synagogues,proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,and curing every disease and illness.At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for thembecause they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his Twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them outand to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’Cure the sick, raise the dead,cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Novena to St. NicholasSt. Nicholas, Glorious Confessor of Christ, assist us in thy loving kindness. Glorious St. Nicholas, my special Patron from thy throne in glory, thou dost enjoy the presence of God, turn thine eyes in pity upon me and attain for me from our Lord the graces and help that I need in my spiritual and temporal necessities (and especially this favor ______________________________________ provided that it be profitable to my salvation). Be mindful likewise, O Glorious and Saintly Bishop, of our Sovereign Pontiff of our Holy Church and of all Christian people. Bring back to the right way of salvation all those who are living steeped in sin, blinded by darkness of ignorance, error and heresy. Comfort the afflicted, provide the needy. Strengthen the fearful, defend the oppressed, give health to the infirm. Cause all [people] to experience the effects of thy powerful intercession with the supreme giver of every good and perfect gift. Amen. Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father. Pray for us, Oh Blessed Nicholas, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us Pray, O God who has glorified Blessed St. Nicholas, thine illustrious Confessor and Bishop, by means of countless signs and wonder, and who does not cease daily so to glorify him , grant we beseech thee, that we, being assisted by his merits and prayers, be delivered from the fires of hell and from all dangers through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Chaplet of Saint Nicholas

• Gracious God,On the cross, pray

hear my prayers for mercy,and by the help of Saint Nicholaskeep me safe from all danger,and guide me on the way of salvation.

Grant this through our Lord Jeus Christ,your Son, who lives and reigns with youand the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.Amen.

• Offer petitions on the first bead of the first triad,continuing on the three beads

• Glorious Holy Nicholas,humble and virtuous Archbishop of Myra,it is true that you hear those who come to youin their trials and tribulations.I trust in you, I hope in you,and I ask you to intercede with our holy Godso that I may receive gracein the things for which I have sought.Be my guide, be my defense, cleanse my soul.Amen.

Caminata de los Tres Lunes (Spanish)(Mondays one walks to a Saint Nicholas statue dedicated to Nicholas)

I know you will not betray my trust,InvocationFull of sweet hope I come to you today, my Holy One,for I am confident that in your goodnessI will be blessed.

my desperate cries will be heardand my troubled spirit will be calmed.

PrayerHoly Father Nicholas,through the precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christthat was spilled on the way of bitterness,for the crown of thorns that they put on his holy head,for the slap across his holy face,for the spear thrust into his holy side,O Divine Love! for the lashings he endured,for the pain his Holy Mother feltas she watched him walk the way of affliction,when she saw him fall,the cross heavy with the weight of our sins;for all he suffered during his holy Passionand for all the blood that was spilled,I beg you, holy Father Nicholas,that you would know my needs and my distressand that you would provide answers to my fervent prayers.

The Our FatherOur Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sin against us.Save us from the time of trialand deliver us from evil.[For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yoursnow and for ever. Amen.]

PrayerGlorious Holy Nicholas,humble and virtuous Archbishop Of Myra,it is true that you hear those who come to youin their trials and tribulations.I trust in you,I hope in you,and I ask you to intercede with our holy Godso that I may receive gracein the things for which I have sought.Be my guide, be my defense, cleanse my soul.Amen.

Hymn, From this perilous sea,O Holy Father Nicholas,Lead us to the safe portOf our heavenly home.

From the struggles of this lifeAnd fatal storms,Save us by your favorAnd singular virtue.

You always come to helpEveryone who cries to you—The sick, sailors,Rich or poor—all who call upon you.

By your holinessAnd powerful intercession,Keep us on the wayTo our heavenly home.

To those who faithfullyCarried your tradition,They've earned the gloryand love of us all. Amen.

PrayerWe beseech you, O Lord,and plead for your mercy,by the intercession of Holy Bishop Nicholas,who protects us from all dangers,show us the way of salvation.Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The great veneration with which this saint has been honoured, both in the Greek and Latin churches for many ages, and the great number of altars and churches which have been everywhere erected in his memory, are proofs of his extraordinary sanctity and of the glory which he enjoys with God. The Emperor Justinian built a church in his honour at Constantinople, in the quarter called Blaquernae, about the year 430, and he was titular saint of four churches in Constantanople. All accounts agree that he was a native of Patara, in Lycia. We are told that in his infancy he observed the fasts of Wednesdays and Fridays, refusing to suck the breasts on those days. Happy are they who, from their infancy and innocent age, are inured to the exercises of devotion, penance, and perfect obedience. St. Nicholas increased his fervour in these and all other virtues with his years, especially when he had devoted himself to a religious life in the monastery of Holy Sion, near Myra, of which house he was made abbot by the archbishop, its founder. Charity in comforting and relieving the distressed seemed his characteristical virtue. Amongst many other instances, it is related that when three young virgins were exposed through distress to the danger of falling into vicious courses, he, for three successive nights, conveyed to them through the window a competent sum of money for a fortune for one of them, so that they were all portioned and afterwards happily married. Lycia was a large ancient province of Asia, in which St. Paul had planted the faith. Myra, the capital, three miles from Patara and from the sea, was an archiepiscopal see, founded by St. Nicander, of so great dignity that in later ages, thirty-six suffragan bishoprics were subject to it. This metropolitan church falling vacant, the holy abbot Nicholas was chosen archbishop, and in that exalted station became famous by his extraordinary piety and zeal, and an incredible number of stupendous miracles. The Greek histories of his life agree that he suffered imprisonment for the faith, and made a glorious confession in the latter part of the persecution raised by Diocletian: and that he was present at the great council of Nice, and there condemned Arianism. The silence of other authors make many justly suspect these circumstances.

The history of the translation of his relics place his death in 342. He died at Myra and was buried in his own cathedral. The relics of St. Nicholas were kept with great honour at Myra, till they were translated into Italy. Certain merchants of Bari, a seaport in the kingdom of Naples situated on the Adriatic Gulf, sailed in three ships to the coast of Lycia; and watching an opportunity when no Mohammedans were near the place, went to the church in which the relics of St. Nicholas were kept, which stood in a desert place three miles from the sea, and was guarded by a small community of monks. They broke open the marble coffin in which the sacred bones lay, and carried them off to their ships; the inhabitants, upon the alarm given, pursued them to the shore with horrible outcries, but the Europeans were got safe on board. They landed at Bari on the 9th of May 1087, and the sacred treasure was deposited by the archbishop in the Church of St. Stephen. On the first day, thirty persons were cured of various distempers, imploring the intercession of St. Nicholas, and from that time the tomb of St. Nicholas of Bari has been famous for pilgrimages. The authentic history of this translation, written by John, at that time archdeacon of Bari, by order of the archbishop, is extant in Surius.

Kirk Cameron, known for his role as Mike Seaver on the 80’s TV show“Growing Pains” and films. Is promoting his new film defending Christmas. In a video clip released last week “Do You Love Santa Claus” Cameron shows the history of Saint Nicolas. Santa Claus, was actually the Roman Catholic Bishop Nicholas of Myra, Turkey under Pope Sylvester I. St. Nicholas, as painted on the Kizhi monastery in Russia. “He was a devout Christian,” Cameron explains. "was left with a large sum of money when his parents died, and be became famous for his kindness toward the poor and his generous giving of gifts to children.”

“He was there at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, one of the most important events in Church history,” he continues, referring to the first ecumenical conference under Constantine. “The Council of Nicaea ended up producing what is known today as the Nicene Creed, a profession of faith used by churches all around the world. The creed affirmed the deity of Christ and the three persons of the trinity.” According to the St. Nicholas Center, Roman Catholics believe that after Nicholas was put into prison for striking another man during the council, “Jesus with His mother Mary appeared to Nicholas: Jesus bringing the book of the Gospels, and Mary, the bishop’s stole which had been taken from him. In this way, Nicholas was reinstated.” During a recent speech before hundreds of students at Liberty University, Cameron also made defended St. Nicholas as being a Christian. “They even ‘sainted’ him—that’s why we call him St. Nicholas,” he said. “He became legendary in his time and beyond his time. He became larger than life and reached mythic proportions.” “So the guy that many of us think is distracting from the birth of the Christ child, is really the defender of the faith you and I want to be,” he explained. “So now that you know who the real Santa Claus is, you want to take a picture with him at the mall this Christmas? I do.” December 6th is the Roman Catholic “Feast of Saint Nicholas,”

Pope Francis greets members of the International Theological Commission. - OSS_ROM

05/12/2014 12:12

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday met with members of the International Theological Commission, at the beginning of a new five-year mandate (quinquennium).

In his address, the Holy Father noted the mission of the Commission, “to study doctrinal problems of great importance, especially those which present new points of view, and in this way to offer its help to the Magisterium of the Church.” This mission, he said, requires not only “intellectual competence, but also spiritual dispositions.” Among those spiritual dispositions, the Pope said he wanted to draw particular attention to the importance of listening.

The theologian, he said, is first of all a believer who hears the word of God. But the theologian must also “humbly listen” to “‘what the Spirit says to the Churches’ through the diverse manifestations of the lived faith of the Church.” In particular, he noted the significantly greater presence of women on the Commission. “In virtue of their feminine genius,” he said, “female theologians are able to take up… certain unexplored aspects of the unfathomable mystery of Christ.” He invited the Commission “to draw greater profit from this specific contribution of women to the understanding of the faith.”

Pope Francis also called attention to the international character of the Commission, which he said “reflects the catholicity of the Church. “The diversity of points of view should enrich the catholicity without harming the unity,” he said. “The unity of Catholic theologians is born from their common reference to one sole faith in Christ and is nourished by the diversity of gifts of the Holy Spirit. From this foundation and in a healthy pluralism, various theological approaches, developed in different cultural contexts and with the diversity of the methods used, cannot ignore each other, but in theological dialogue ought to reciprocal